Due to exceptionally good weather this week, I’ve been able to ride outside, which beats riding the Tacx trainer by a million miles, albeit that the latter is much safer.
Last year around this time, things were still covered in snow, pro races were cancelled and I was on my turbo trainer like a hamster in a wheel.
Two years ago, the weather was also very nice, I was riding outside – I had even done a Gran Fondo or two already – but ended up in the hospital after a bad crash, which left me with several broken ribs, a fractured shoulder and a badly bruised hip.
Needles to say that this time of year is causing mixed emotions and we haven’t even reached May yet, where last year I ended up in the hospital again after another crash…
But I am happy to report that things went well this week and between Thursday 6 and Thursday 13, I rode 7 times.
Nothing fancy, just maintenance rides, with the 105 kilometer ride on Sunday being the longest.
Nevertheless, I was not happy at times, seeing that bicycle lanes and / or country roads that were hazardous already, have become even more dangerous to ride. And new hazards have formed…
One thing I avoided – as much as possible – was taking my eyes off the road when taking sips out of my bottle. And frequently, I just hit the brakes because I was too scared to maintain my speed.
I’m aware that I go faster than the ordinary commuter on a city bike, but for a country that gets praise from all over the world for its biking infrastructure, Almere – and the polder around it – is a menace to the cyclist on a race bike going faster than 20, 25 kph.
Anyway, I was enjoying it while it lasts during this “maintenance week”. The forecast is not too bad for the upcoming week, but I will be “tapering” for the hills in Hochsauerland anyway.
